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Wizards search for first road win in the Big Easy vs. Hornets

Feb 1, 2011 - 3:56 PM (Sports Network) - The Washington Wizards will try again for their first win of the season as the guest when they conclude a four-game western trek tonight against the New Orleans Hornets.

The Wizards are a league-worst 0-24 on the road in 2010-11 and have dropped 25 straight contests as the visitor dating back to last season. The NBA mark for most road defeats to start a season belongs to the Dallas Mavericks, who lost 29 straight to open the 1992-93 campaign. Washington's last road win was a 106-96 triumph in Boston back on April 9, 2010.

Washington has dropped five in a row overall, including the first three tests of this road swing, and suffered a 102-92 setback in Dallas on Monday. Nick Young and Rashard Lewis scored 18 points apiece for the Wizards, who got 16 points and 13 rebounds from Andray Blatche.

"I'd say we played hard. Guys fought through adversity," Wizards head coach Flip Saunders said. "It's tough when you struggle and put yourselves in a position. Key calls can change the complexion on the game. You're looking to get a break and there were some obvious ones and you hope to get them. But we didn't get them."

After tonight's bout in the Big Easy, the Wizards will return to the nation's capital to open a four-game homestand versus Orlando, Atlanta, Milwaukee and San Antonio. Young is second on the team with 17.0 ppg and was able to play through a sore right calf. He should be ready to go again tonight.

New Orleans has dropped two in a row since a season-high 10-game winning streak and completed a three-game road trip with a 1-2 mark following Sunday's 104-102 setback in Phoenix.

Chris Paul led the Hornets with a game-high 26 points and 12 assists, while David West scored 17 points for New Orleans, which got 16 points from Trevor Ariza and shot just 42 percent from the floor.

The Hornets will try to extend their home winning streak to six games and are an impressive 19-5 at New Orleans Arena this season.

Hornets center Emeka Okafor injured his hip in the second quarter and had just 10 points and seven boards in less than 17 minutes of action against the Suns. An MRI on the big man revealed a Grade 2 left rectus oblique strain and he is expected to miss one-to-three weeks of action. Okafor's streak of 306 consecutive regular season games, currently the fourth longest streak in the NBA, will end tonight.

New Orleans defeated Washington, 92-81, on Jan. 1 this season at the Verizon Center in DC, as Ariza posted 22 points and Okafor chipped in 17 and 15 rebounds in that one. The Hornets have won four of the last five meetings in this series, while Washington has lost 13 of 16 contests in the Big Easy.